FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AIA|LA to Host CalEMA Post Disaster Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Evaluator Training in Response to the Recent Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan

Los Angeles, CA (March 29, 2011) - The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA|LA) extends its thoughts to our friends in Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11, 2011. In recognition of the suddenness with which a disaster can strike, AIA|LA has teamed up with the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA), and Dean Vlahos, FAIA, of DLR Group WWCOT, to train local qualified individuals to become registered Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Evaluators for the State of California.

The training, which is limited to 20 registrants, will take place on Friday, April 29, 2011 from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM at the AIA|LA Chapter Office and AIA members can receive 7.0 HSW learning units for attending. The class costs $150 for AIA Members and $200 for Non-Members. Registration is available at this LINK.

The goal of the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) Safety Assessment Program (SAP) is to help the local government perform accurate facility safety assessments as quickly as possible. This allows people to use safe homes and businesses, and ensure that people are prohibited from entering unsafe structures after a disaster. SAP Evaluators survey damaged facilities to determine if there are safety hazards to building occupants or to the general public. SAP Evaluators also provide recommended posting of placards that denote the condition of each structure evaluated.

This full-day SAP Evaluator Training class trains civil engineers, architects, and building inspectors to do field evaluations of buildings and other infrastructure for safety. It includes the most currently updated curriculum prepared by the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA), practical examples of post-disaster field conditions impacting structural safety, assessing the degree of severity, posting, and barricading procedures.

Qualified participants will receive the Disaster Service Worker Emergency Response Team card. Possession of this card is required in order to participate in emergency California Building Officials (CALBO) call-out operations. Qualified individuals must be certified as a licensed Architect, Engineer, Building Official, Building Code Official, Master Code Official, Building Inspector, Combination Inspector, Residential Building Inspector, Residential Combination Inspector, Building Plans Examiner, or Combination Plans Examiner.